1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to livestock feeders, and in particular to a portable livestock feeder with a flexible cover.
2. Description of the Related Art
Livestock feeders are commonly used in the field of animal husbandry and various designs have heretofore been proposed for meeting the requirements of particular applications. Such feeders can be employed with a wide variety of feed materials, including mineral supplements such as salt blocks, etc.
A common problem with feeding livestock relates to protecting and preserving the feed materials from the elements in the field. For example, dumping the feed materials on the ground is a common practice, but generally results in waste. Such waste of materials can create significant additional expense for the rancher or livestock operator. Feed material waste can also occur when materials are placed on the ground and trampled by the livestock.
Such waste and spoilage can be particularly expensive when it involves relatively expensive premium materials such as mineral feeds, feed supplements, etc.
Such feeders must satisfy the somewhat opposing criteria of providing the animals with access to the materials contained therein while providing effective weather protection therefor. An example of a solution to this problem is to provide a flexible cover which can be bent to an out-of-the-way configuration by livestock feeding thereat and a closed configuration when not being accessed by the livestock. For example, the Mann U.S. Pat. No. 4,303,040 discloses a livestock feeder which includes a flexible cover for manipulation by livestock which can "nose under" the cover edge for accessing feed materials contained therein.
In addition to the aforementioned objectives of livestock accessibility and protection from the elements, livestock safety is an important concern. In their attempts to gain access to the feed materials in a feeder, livestock can become entangled in its structure and thereby sustain injury or even death. Moreover, livestock feeders should preferably be relatively low in cost so as not to add significantly to the cost of a livestock feeding operation, and should be adaptable for use with various types of livestock.
Heretofore there has not been available a livestock feeder with advantages and features of the present invention. The livestock feeder of the present invention addresses the aforementioned objectives.